Brick cleaning apparatus

ABSTRACT

A device for reclaiming used brick including a rotating striker member having a square cross section to provide corners while impact as the bricks are advanced into a position to be acted upon.

United States-Patent 1,123,038 12/1914 Tucker 125/26 861,896 7/1907Powning 125/26 I FOREIGN PATENTS 932,216 11/1947 France 125/26 559,6706/1923 France 125/26 Primary Examiner-Harold D. Whitehead Att0rneyBarryMoyerman ABSTRACT: A device for reclaiming used brick including arotating striker member having a square cross section to provide cornerswhile impact as the bricks are advanced into a position to be actedupon.

PATENTED JAN 4 I972 SHEET 1 BF 2 an w PATENIEnJm 45172 3631846 saw 2 OF2 TT NEY BRICK CLEANING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Fieldof the Invention The invention pertains to brick working. Moreparticularly it pertains to dressing of use bricks to remove adheringold mortar from them so that the bricks can be used again in newconstruction.

2. Prior Art These currently exists a desire for used bricks as buildingmaterial for new construction. Such bricks are preferable, for example,in colonial reconstruction or pseudocolonial construction. They areoften particularly desirable because they contain natural earth colorsnot found in new bricks. However, salvaging such bricks from demolitionprojects is difficult because of the labor involved. It is, of course,necessary to remove the old mortar from these bricks before they can beused again. This is customarily done manually with chipping hammers anda large percentage of brick is lost because they are fractured by ahammer blow.

There have been some proposals for machines to clean bricks. Theseinclude, for example, that disclosed in US. Pat. No. 89,263 where bricksare forced between a pair of corrugated rollers; in US. Pat. No. 547,746which also utilizes cleaning rollers and in U.S. Pat. No. 782,324 whichutilizes abrasive discs. Grinding rolls are used in US. Pat. No.1,505,867 and toothed rolls with saw blades in U.S. Pat. No. 3,087,483.

Despite these proposals, the work is done today manually with no toolmore sophisticated than a hammer. Such procedures are hardly consistentwith the advanced technology which is the provide of this country.Often, because of the cost of such manual labor, bricks are discardedand used as fill rather than salvaged.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention comprises an apparatus forremoving mortar from a used brick and thus reclaiming it. The noveltheory reflected in the apparatus involves delivering a series of blowsacross the mortar-covered surface or surfaces of the brick. These blowsare sharp, have a uniform force and a fixed periodicity. Further, theyare delivered with an arcuate component of force in a fixed linear locusof impact while the brick is held in a plane across which the locuslies. As the mortar disintegrates, the brick is advanced in the plane sothat the locus progresses from one end of the brick to the other and itis sequentially stripped of its mortar.

Preferred apparatus is a striker having a square cross section which isrotated at a uniform speed about a fixed axis of rotation. Means such asa chute or conveyor may also be provided for passing one or more bricksproximate the striker in a plane contacted by all of its comers asrotation occurs.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an apparatus forremoving mortar from bricks quickly and cheaply which is rugged inconstruction, adapted for portability to a job site, easy to operate,low in cost and easily repaired.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art from a consideration of the description whichfollows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing, wherein like referencenumerals designate like parts:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic sectional representation of the method of theinvention.

FIG. 2 represents a perspective view of an apparatus embodying theinvention.

FIG. 3 represents a fragmentary perspective view of a striker which maybe used in the apparatus of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 represents a fragmentary perspective view of another strikerwhich may also be used in the apparatus of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 represents a perspective view of another apparatus embodying theinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The method of the invention maybe explained with reference to FIG. 1, which is a diagrammatic section.In the figure, a used brick, generally 10, is shown which has ends 11and 12 and a face 13 to which is adhered old mortar 14. It is desired toremove mortar 14 from the brick without breaking it.

This is done by holding the brick in a fixed plane (horizontal, asshown) and striking the mortar with a series of sharp blows at a fixedlinear locus of impact 15, on surface 13, which extends linearly acrossthe plane and, thus, across the face of the brick. These blows may bedelivered with the corner of a bar or with a striker, generally 16.However, it is critical to the method that these blows be delivered witha fixed periodicity, with a uniform force and with a component which isarcuate with respect to surface 13.

This may be done manually, but the necessary uniformity of force andevenness of rhythm, as well as the arcuate quality necessary if thebrick is not to break is more easily achieved by rotating striker 16about a fixed axis 17. The striker must have a plurality of comers 18,each equidistant from axis 17 in order to achieve the desiredperiodicity of impact and to deliver a series of glancing blows alongline I5. Such a requirement is most easily achieved by providing thestriker with a square cross section is shown. Direction of rotation ofthe striker is indicated by the arcuate arrow.

As the mortar disintegrates under the rain of blows, the brick isadvanced in the direction shown by the straight arrow so that impactline 15 moves down the face 13 toward end I 1. Relative motion may also,obviously, be achieved by leaving brick 10 in the position shown andmoving axis 17 in a plane parallel to the face 13 so that locus 15 movesdown the brick.

Although not essential, it is preferred to hard surface the leadingedges I9, of comers 18 with a material harder than the balance of thestriker. One suitable technique is to lay down a bead of welding rodcontaining 11-14 percent manganese. Other hard surfacing alloys areequally suitable for deposition and result in longer tool life.

In FIG. 2, an apparatus embodying the invention is shown. The strikerportion is the same as striker 16 and is numbered accordingly.

The apparatus includes a frame 20 on which is mounted a gasoline orelectric mortar 21 which drives a sheave 22. A belt 23 drives anothersheave 24 mounted on a mandrel shaft 25 which is joumaled through abracket 26 mounted on frame 20. Striker 16 is mounted on a cantileveredextension of shaft 25 in a suitable manner. Motor speeds are chosen andsheaves are sized so that the striker rotates at suitable speeds,preferably in the range of 500 to 1,500 r.p.m.

To use the apparatus of FIG. 2, the operator holds a brick with amortar-encrusted surface in a plane wherein it will be contacted by allcorners 18 of rotating striker l6 and then advances the brickprogressively in that plane to remove the mortar. He may then turn thebrick and treat another surface in a similar manner.

FIG. 3 represents a striker which is not hard surfaced and FIG. 4represents a striker which has two hard surfaces 30 and 31, at eachcomer 18. Such a tool can be utilized in one direction of rotation(e.g., until surfaces 30 wear) and then rotation can be reversed so thatfresh surfaces 31 are utilized.

The apparatus shown in FIG. 5 is generally identical to the apparatus ofFIG. 2 in terms of its frame, striker and striker rotating means.However, it is provided with adjustable chutes for one or more rows ofbricks.

As shown, a chute 40 adjustably mounted on frame 20. This chute includessidewalls 41 and 42; a bottom 43 and an intermediate dividing wall orseptum 44. The bottom 43 is in a plane which is parallel to a planetangent to the circle described by comers 18 as the striker 16 rotates,and is spaced apart from that plane by the thickness of a clean brick.Bricks 45, placed in the chute, feed by gravity to the striker where themortar is removed. The operator is freed from guidance of the bricks andspends his time loading and unloading the machine.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the mortar impacting surfaces ofsaid striker, proximate the corners thereof, are harder than the balanceof said striker. 1

3. The apparatus of claim 1 which further includes means for passing abrick proximate said striker in a plane contacted by all comers thereofas it rotates 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the mortar impactingsurfaces of said striker, proximate the comers thereof, are harder thanthe balance of said striker.

1. Apparatus for removing adhering old mortar from used brickscomprising: a. a frame; b. a striker extending outwardly from saidframe, said striker being square in cross section; and c. means forrotating said striker at a uniform speed about a fixed axis.
 2. Theapparatus of claim 1 wherein the mortar impacting surfaces of saidstriker, proximate the corners thereof, are harder than the balance ofsaid striker.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 which further includes meansfor passing a brick proximate said striker in a plane contacted by allcorners thereof as it rotates.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein themortar impacting surfaces of said striker, proximate the cornersthereof, are harder than the balance of said striker.